MakamThan Sadet

Makam, a guide to compositional structure employed primarily in Turkish classical music, is also the moniker of Guy Blanken, a close relative of the Dekmantel Records family. A play on words, his new record Than Sadet sets an impressive precedent for any contemporaries to match. While Makam's past sets have drawn heavily from Detroit's musical heritage, the Dutchman's debut LP is as unpredictable as it is sophisticated, committing only to 'electronic' music as a referent.

Than Sadet moves lithely, bouncing rhythms buoying the distinctly tropical overtones that permeate the record. "Resort Abandoned" sounds like an audio accompaniment to hypnosis, punctuated by kicks and claps that fade in and out of its deliberately repetitious structure. Tracks like "Makarbar" and "Mai Pen Rai" demonstrate how to move between downbeat tempos and hedonistic energy, relying on jazz-tinged time signatures to resemble the poised aggression that Floating Points often embodies.

Marked by an exploration of texture, Than Sadet encapsulates the listener in a realm teeming with lush tropicalia and trance-like loops. Its occasional venture into more ominous, brooding soundscapes makes for a record that is as striking as it is sinister.
(Dekmantel)